Leaf on the Wind
by EverReader
Summary: Some one-shot's looking at the way's Clara might have saved the Doctor throughout his timeline. Canon Compliant for the most part.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Really. Not mine.**

**Leaf on the Wind**

Some one shot's detailing how Clara has saved the Doctor.

**Closing Time**

"Rose!" The blond's head jerked up from where she was folding a stack of shirts. She bit her lip as the manager, Lucy approached. This never ended well.

"Yeah? She replied hesitantly, glancing at the clock. Only another hour until six, and she was off. She was due to meet Mickey for some pizza this evening.

Lucy blew a stray curl out of her face.

Rose always wondered why someone like Lucy would be a manager at a place like Heinrich's. Sure, she was pretty and professional enough. But she always looked like she had half a mind to be some where else. Boating, or skiing or...or sword fighting.

Honestly, when Rose looked at her, she imagined her as something adventurous and glamorous and worldly...like...like that Indiana Jones guy. What was he, again?

That's right. Lucy looked like an archaeologist. Or a treasure hunter or something...

Someone who traveled, anyway...

"Rose, did you just hear a thing I said?" Lucy's voice broke in exasperatedly.

"Uh, yeah...no." She flushed. Lucy just rolled her eyes.

"I need you to work a double." She said pleadingly.

"But I came in at 8!" Rose exclaimed. "Closer's never get out until, like midnight!"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry! And last week you were looking for extra hours." Lucy begged.

"Who called in?" Rose demanded.

"The new girl who was supposed to train tonight, part timer, uh...Clara. Clara Oswald." Lucy replied, looking down at her clipboard.

"Yeah, fine, whatever. Hope she had a good excuse." Rose rolled her eyes. "And I want an extra half an hour break, so I can grab a bite with my boyfriend."

"Sure. Anything. I just hope she show's tomorrow, or we're really gonna be in a pinch." Lucy looked worried.

"Was she sick or something?" Rose asked, starting to feel a little bad.

Lucy shrugged. "Her message didn't say. Something about her Mum."

Rose just shrugged. "I'm still surprised they let you hire a sixteen year old, even as a part timer."

Lucy grimaced. "Normally, I don't. She just really struck my fancy. Seemed serious enough. Said she wanted to travel after school, wanted to start saving up."

"Right. Well, closing. Lovely." Rose smiled gamely.

"Thank you, sweetie! Oh, and don't forget to take the lottery money down to Wilson before you go. You forgot last time."

"Yeah yeah." Rose smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to the BBC.

**Leaf on the Wind**

**Chapter Two:**

**Author's Note: Yes, this is an echo of Clara. But since Oswin Oswald proved that not every echo of Clara was called Clara, I took some liberties with the name. I'd have to think that versions born on planets other than Earth would most likely not always be called Clara.**

Cissa Waldo sighed in satisfaction as she leaned back in her chair, brushing her brown hair out of her eyes. The last of the maintenance scans were running now. In just a matter of moments, she could designate Platform One as as ready for use.

She ran her hand wistfully along the console, trying to imagine the places this station must have been. She couldn't wait for the day she could do some traveling of her own. As far as jobs went, Safety Programs Maintenance for the Platform Corporation really wasn't bad as far as jobs went. And her computer skills had let her test out of the lower entry positions, putting her straight into a Programmer III position.

A mauve light started flashing on the console and she frowned. She used her own System Diagnostics software, hers were a little faster and more thorough than the standard issued to level three techs.

Self-Ionizing Shield Restart Function Status: Not Found

Cissa frowned and quickly ran another scan, then a third. "Strange." She murmured. She hadn't worked on Platform One in over a year, It didn't normally come in the vicinity of New Mars, where she was stationed. Normally she worked on Platforms Eleven and Twelve. (Which ran beautifully, if she did say so herself.)

But according to her scanners, Platform One didn't currently have SISRF. She frowned.

Hadn't all the Platforms been updated by control a little over six months ago?

The SISRF was considered one of the biggest breakthroughs since vortex manipulation. Ships like Platform One had Ionized Shields, once activated, they literally held themselves together due to the nature of their own electrical charge. Very thorough, very efficient, and extremely low maintenance. The shields became almost organic in nature.

But a big enough power disruption,and the shield would lose integrity. Traditional Ion Shields couldn't self repair or self-start. Up until about a year ago, ships as big as Platform One would have to go to a Shield Maintenance Station to have it's shields repaired..

But the SISRF Function would allow a hard re-start mid flight, in case of life threatening emergency.

She couldn't imagine anything like that happening on a platform, though.

She frowned in thought again, then stood up and walked over to the door. Seeing one of the blue-skinned daily maintenance workers, she said. "Um, excuse me?"

The petite woman looked at her in confusion before replying. "Um, I'm sorry, Miss?"

Cissa smiled encouragingly. "Can you tell me something?"

The Blue woman wore an uncomfortable expression on her face. "I..need permission to speak Miss."

Clara's eyes widened. "Oh. No! Not like that! I'm sorry, not a guest." She flashed her I.D. Badge and the woman smiled a bit more naturally as she straightened.

"Sorry! Made a mistake and spoke without permission back on my first week here and they dropped my pay grade by a level."

Clara frowned. Yes, that sounded exactly like something the Platform Corporation would do.

"My fault. Should have shown you my I.D. Right off the bat. Anyway, I was just running a diagnostic the the Ion Shields systems, and the computer's telling me that the Restart Function hasn't been installed yet. But I thought all the Platforms were upgraded six month's ago?"

The woman grimaced. "Yeah, the Steward wasn't too happy either. The hardware's installed, I did it myself, down in the main venting chamber."

This time it was Clara's turn to frown. "Why there? Who could even get to it down there?" She asked.

The woman shrugged again. "Control said it was for 'aesthetic' purposes. Didn't want any of the Guests to see it. Anyway, Platform One was just about to go in for the upgrade, when Control got an emergency request for use from the Great Intelligence Corporation. Insisted it had to be immediately, and it had to be Platform One. None of the others were good enough. Anyway, we missed our window, and we haven't had a tech on board since then trained to do the upgrade."

Clara smiled. "Well, isn't today your lucky day! I was on one of the upgrade teams. Still got the software patch in my bag. Only take an hour or so. Brought a book with me. One of the old earth classics, "Summer Falls.". Me mum says Chapter Eleven's the best, but I'm on Nine right now, and I can't see how it could get any better. Ta!" She walked back into the computer room.

Suddenly, her head popped out of the door again, and she grinned. "I'm Cissa, by the way. What's your name?"

"Rafaello."

"Thanks for your help, Rafaello."


End file.
